B-Side Guys

Best Albums by Year

Every year’s best albums, ranked by B-Side Breakdown. A year’s numbers count its albums with five or more reviews, so they shift as our back catalog fills in.

This year

The best albums of 2026 so far

Average Breakdown 76. 71% of albums liked. So far it rates higher than 70% of past years.

  1. Album cover for All Set the Bone by Greg Freeman1Greg FreemanAll Set the Bone87 B+
  2. Album cover for You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love by Olivia Rodrigo2Olivia RodrigoYou Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love87 B+
  3. Album cover for From the Dark by Tony Iommi3Tony IommiFrom the Dark86 B
  4. Album cover for This Music May Contain Hope. by Raye4RayeThis Music May Contain Hope.85 B
  5. Album cover for Hippies, Thugs and Heroes by Richard Thompson5Richard ThompsonHippies, Thugs and Heroes84 B

See the full 2026 list →

Years that stand out

Highest-rated year1979Average Breakdown of 85, the highest of any year here.Number one: Public Image Ltd., Metal BoxLowest-rated year2012Average Breakdown of 68, the lowest of any year here.Number one: Frank Ocean, Channel OrangeMost A-Sides197332% of its albums earned an A-Side, the critics' top tier.Number one: Stevie Wonder, InnervisionsMost divisive year199043% of its albums split the critics: Divided or Contentious.Number one: Depeche Mode, Violator

Average Breakdown, year by year

Years with at least 25 albums of five or more reviews. This year is in red. Tap a bar for that year’s list.

Highest · 1979 · 851980199020002010Lowest · 2012 · 6820202026 · 76

Every year

2020s

2026Greg Freeman, All Set the BoneAverage 762025Rosalía, LuxAverage 732024The Cure, Songs of a Lost WorldAverage 742023Taylor Swift, 1989 (Taylor’s Version)Average 742022Rosalía, MotomamiAverage 752021Radiohead, Kid A MnesiaAverage 732020Fiona Apple, Fetch the Bolt CuttersAverage 76

2010s

2019Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, GhosteenAverage 742018Rosalía, El Mal QuererAverage 732017Lorde, MelodramaAverage 732016Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Skeleton TreeAverage 742015Kendrick Lamar, To Pimp a ButterflyAverage 732014Flying Lotus, You’re Dead!Average 702013Kanye West, YeezusAverage 692012Frank Ocean, Channel OrangeAverage 682011PJ Harvey, Let England ShakeAverage 692010Jamey Johnson, The Guitar SongAverage 69

2000s

2009Animal Collective, Merriweather Post PavilionAverage 682008Portishead, ThirdAverage 682007Radiohead, In RainbowsAverage 702006Clipse, Hell Hath No FuryAverage 712005Opeth, Ghost ReveriesAverage 702004Arcade Fire, FuneralAverage 702003Dizzee Rascal, Boy in da CornerAverage 712002Boards of Canada, GeogaddiAverage 722001The Strokes, Is This ItAverage 722000OutKast, StankoniaAverage 74

1990s

1999Múm, Yesterday Was Dramatic – Today Is OKAverage 721998OutKast, AqueminiAverage 771997Radiohead, OK ComputerAverage 741996DJ Shadow, Endtroducing…..Average 771995Tricky, MaxinquayeAverage 751994Johnny Cash, American RecordingsAverage 801993Nirvana, In UteroAverage 751992R.E.M., Automatic for the PeopleAverage 801991Massive Attack, Blue LinesAverage 771990Depeche Mode, ViolatorAverage 75

1980s

1989Beastie Boys, Paul’s BoutiqueAverage 771988Public Enemy, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us BackAverage 801987Dinosaur Jr., You’re Living All Over MeAverage 811986The Smiths, The Queen Is Dead1985Tom Waits, Rain Dogs1984The Replacements, Let It Be1983Tom Waits, Swordfishtrombones1982Richard Thompson, Shoot Out the Lights1981X, Wild Gift1980Joy Division, CloserAverage 81

1970s

1979Public Image Ltd., Metal BoxAverage 851978Van Halen, Van HalenAverage 831977The Clash, The ClashAverage 841976Stevie Wonder, Songs in the Key of Life1975Brian Eno, Another Green World1974Joni Mitchell, Court and Spark1973Stevie Wonder, InnervisionsAverage 821972The Rolling Stones, Exile on Main St.1971Led Zeppelin, Led Zeppelin IV1970Miles Davis, Bitches Brew

1960s

1969Sly and the Family Stone, Stand!1968The Mothers of Invention, We’re Only in It for the Money1967The Velvet Underground, The Velvet Underground & Nico1966Bob Dylan, Blonde on Blonde1965Bob Dylan, Highway 61 Revisited1964The Beatles, A Hard Day’s Night1963The Beatles, With the Beatles1960Miles Davis, Sketches of Spain

1950s

1959Miles Davis, Kind of Blue

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